Regional News

Spio-Garbrah proposes unity talks to mend NDC differences

Date: Jul 23 , 2018 , 09:50

BY: Musah Yahaya Jafaru

Category: Politics

Dr Ekwow Spio Garbrah

A contender for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer slot for the 2020 general election, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has proposed the organisation of unity talks to mend the differences between winners and losers of the just ended branch and constituency elections of the party.

He said similar unity talks should also be organised after the regional and national elections of the NDC.

Out of the unity talks, he maintained, the NDC could come out with numerous strategies that could be formulated at the various constituencies to prepare the grounds for victory of the party in the 2020 general election.

He said there was the tendency that people who had won would go beyond simply celebrating their victory and would want to marginalise or even find ways to victimise those who had lost.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra, Dr Spio-Garbrah urged national executive members to mobilise members of the council of elders at the branch level, founder members at the constituency level, former Members of Parliament (MPs), former District Chief Executives (DCEs) and other former appointees to undertake the series of unity talks.

Unity is strength

Dr Spio-Garbrah, who is a former Minister of Trade and Industry, recalled that since last year, a number of unity walks took place around the country with the aim to mobilising members of the party at the grass roots and to energise and revitalise the party's foundation.

"But the walks have now been concluded and the next main agenda in my view in addition to the ongoing elections must be unity talks following each of the elections," he said.

For example, Dr Spio-Garbrah said elections were held in about 29,000 branches, and people stood for the positions of chairman, communications officer, branch organiser, women's organiser and youth organiser.

Again, he said constituency elections were held and they voted for between 20 and 30 people in each of the 275 constituencies.

"People who have won may want to victimise those who have lost on the grounds that since they are no longer in office, they are longer in power. So they do not have any significant role in the party and if resources are coming to the area, they will be pushed aside because they are our opponents.

"This attitude may flow into the regional election which is taking place next month and will also trickle into the national election next year", he said.

His personal experience

Dr Spio-Garbrah said he was speaking with the experience of having been a flag bearer candidate in 2006.

He indicated that after the contest involving Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, who later became President, Mr Eddy Annan, Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama and himself, the four contestants were not able to meet and work together for the common unity and purpose of the party.

"Fortunately, in spite of not having met, all four found various means of supporting Prof. Mills to win the 2008 election. It would have been much better and effective if the four had met and strategised.

"In unity lies strength and each of the contestants will come with their own skills, knowledge, contacts and resources. So it must be at the branch, constituency, regional and national levels," he said.

Dr Spio-Garbrah said people who had won and people who had lost were not by themselves able to engage in any efforts at resolving their issues.